Valencia the Key to a 4-4-2

Manchester United have pried right-winger Antonio Valencia away from Wigan Athletic for a fee estimated to be around the £16 million range. The obvious motive behind the deal to replace the departing Cristiano Ronaldo.

Valencia is a very different player then Ronaldo, the twenty-three-year-old is much more of a tradition winger than Ronaldo was. He has pace, and can deliver a cross, while holding his position out on the wing. Ronaldo who liked to cut in had a much higher goal scoring record, but played the position completely differently.

This is the final of many confirmations that Man. United will most likely be reverting to a classic 4-4-2 this season. When Ronaldo was in the squad even when United were playing a 4-4-2 it was a very different formation, just because of his tendency to cut in and the threat he posed.

With Valencia, Park and Nani sharing time on the wings, there will be a lot of emphasis on balls into the box and stretching teams out. This new style of approach will give Rooney a lot more space as he operates in the middle of the park as a traditional centre forward or "number ten".

With Berbatov playing up front with Rooney it gives the typical worker/back to goal, or small man/big man forward pairing. The partnership between the two of them will be very important in playing a 4-4-2.

The starting line up will most likely look something like this:

--------------Van Der Sar---------------
--O'Shea----Vidic----Ferdinand---Evra---
--Valencia---Carrick---Anderson---Park--
------------Rooney-----Berbatov---------

With squad rotation, the starting XI will obviously differ from week to week (especially in the centre of midfield with Scholes, Fletcher, Giggs, Hargreaves and Possebon all providing extra options), but the basic shape should stay the same no matter who is playing in those positions.

Valencia's signing is hugely important to United in the change of styles, and although he is obviously not the same talent that Ronaldo was, he will allow players like Rooney to pick up with the goals where Ronaldo left behind.

Xavi tears into "uncontrollable" Ronaldo

The dust has barely settled on Cristiano Ronaldo's world-record £80m transfer to Real Madrid and already the knives are out at bitter rivals Barcelona. The Portugal superstar is next week expected to be officially unveiled as the latest marquee signing by the big-spending Bernabeu giants, but it would appear his arrival will not be universally trumpeted.

Spain midfielder Xavi believes his club, Treble-winners Barcelona, have escaped an ego out of control in the shape of the "uncontrollable" Ronaldo and is delighted he will get the chance to cross swords with the former Manchester United favourite when the new La Liga campaign resumes.

A summer spent in the company of socialite Paris Hilton was also not lost on Nou Camp hero Xavi, who feels Ronaldo has become too big for most dressing-rooms."The best player in the world is (Lionel) Messi and there's no chance he will switch allegiance," Xavi told the Daily Mail."We also have Andres Iniesta, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o. With that kind of luxury we are capable of doing anything.

"As for Ronaldo, I wouldn't want him here. At Barca, we do not have room for players who fill gossip magazines. We are hard workers and sportsmen but he, on the other hand, is uncontrollable. We have a lot of desire to continue winning. This group has a strong mentality and why shouldn't we dream about winning the treble again?"

Nick Walsh writes features and football betting previews for Betfair.

Canada's 2009 Gold Cup Countdown: Glorified Friendlies?

Many people have started to look at this upcoming Gold Cup as collection of glorified friendlies. Countries like the USA and Mexico are essentially sending B-squads. With El Salvador, Costa Rica, the USA, Mexico, and Honduras all still involved with World Cup Qualifying for South Africa, the Gold Cup is not top priority. Especially for the United States as they continue on their fairy tale run through the Confederations Cup. Obviously Canada is no longer involved in World Cup Qualifying, and they were not at the Confederations Cup, so there are two options going into the tournament.

Hart may chose to experiment with the squad available. Try to work out what formations and players will work going forward, especially for 2014 qualifying. Many were advocating sending a young squad to the Gold Cup for this reason. With weakened opponents it may be a good opportunity to give the young lads a crack at CONCACAF opposition.

The squad Hart chose indicates that he won't be going this route, it looks as if he is going all out to win the tournament. Weakened opposition may give Canada a shot at taking home the Gold Cup trophy. Winning the Gold Cup would do wonders for our FIFA ranking, which has seen us put into several groups of death. Most memorably during the last World Cup Qualifying cycle when Canada was paired with Jamaica, Honduras and Mexico. Taking home a trophy like this may also bring some much needed media attention.

When Canada last won the Gold Cup in 2000 it was big news across the country, with lots of attention dedicated to the national team. Some extra exposure can only be good, especially with the sport seemingly on the up media wise at the moment.

So to those who say that next month is a group of glorified friendlies, a Continental title to a team like Canada cannot be considered a waste of time.

Canada's 2009 Gold Cup Countdown: The Squad

Canada's 23 man roster for the 2009 Gold Cup has been released.

1- G- Greg Sutton | unattached / sans club

2- D- Adrian Cann | DEN / Esbjerg fB

3- D/M- Mike Klukowski | BEL / Club Brugge KV

4- D- André Hainault | USA / Houston Dynamo

6- M- Julian de Guzman | ESP / Deportivo La Coruna

5- D/F- Kevin McKenna | GER / 1. FC Köln

7- D/M- Paul Stalteri | GER / Borussia Mönchengladbach

8- M- Marcel de Jong | NED / Roda JC

9- F- Ali Gerba | unattached / sans club

10- M/F- Willi Johnson | USA / Real Salt Lake

11- D- Richard Hastings | SCO / Inverness CT

12- M- Issey Nakajima-Farran | DEN / FC Nordsjælland

13- M- Atiba Hutchinson | DEN / F.C. København

14- D- Dejan Jakovic | USA / DC United

15- M/F- Josh Simpson | GER / FC Kaiserslautern

16- F- Simeon Jackson | ENG / Gillingham FC

17- D/M- Jaime Peters | ENG / Ipswich Town FC

18- G- Joshua Wagenaar | ENG / Yeovil Town

19- D/M- Kevin Harmse | CAN / Toronto FC

20- M- Patrice Bernier | DEN / FC Nordsjælland

21- M- Chris Pozniak | SCO / Dundee FC

22- G- Kenny Stamatopoulos | NOR / FC Lyn Oslo (on loan from Tromsø I.L.)

23- F- Charles Gbeke | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC

I am actually a big fan of the squad except for a few minor issues. The number one issue being where the fuck is David Edgar? Seriously I don't care about resting him for the upcoming club season, this guys is by far our best defender technically. He may not be as strong/solid as guys like Serioux, but on the ball he is much better! Looking at World Cup qualifying when most of our attack was built off of Hastings booting the ball deep every time it came to him having a defender who is good with the ball at his feet may not be a bad idea.

My other problem is Gbeke, he is old and will not feature later with the National Team. He has proven to be ineffective with the national team, and its not as if his club form has been brilliant.

Just a recap over the last few months I put together a starting line up that looked like this:

-----------------Begovic---------------
--Klukowski--Edgar--Serioux--De Jong----
----------------Bernier-----------------
--Simpson--De Guzman--Hutchinson--Farran--
---------------Johnson------------------

Now with the squad announced, and recent form to go by I have a new starting XI I'd like to see at the Gold Cup.

---------------Sutton--------------------
-Klukowski--Hainault--Jakovic--De Jong--
---------------Bernier------------------
--Simpson--De Guzman--Hutchinson--Farran--
-----------Johnson/Jackson-------------

I'd like to see Will Johnson and Simeon Jackson share time, but other than that the two differences are the centre back pairing, where I've chosen the MLS duo, and Sutton in net over Begovic.

The Glazer Effect Continues

With the recent announcement of Tevez's departure, coming on the back of Ronaldo's eighty million pound sale, eyes are starting to turn in the direction of the club's American owners, the Glazers.

It is estimated that Manchester United is currently being operated on about £700 million of debt. After United announced that it had made an agreement with Real Madrid over the sale of Ronaldo, the Glazer family promised that the money coming in from this deal will be spent on new players and not put towards lowering the massive debt.

The various rumours floating around were that United were going to go after Ribéry, Villa, Benzema and Valencia. Many also believed the money may be used to secure Carlos Tevez's long term Old Trafford future. The Tevez deal did not go through, as he shunned United and their president David Gill saying that they didn't make an offer until it was "too late".

Five days after the Glazers announced that they would be willing to spend as much money as Sir Alex wanted, the club released another announcement. The club installed a long term policy that they would no longer buy players aged twenty-six of higher.

Twenty-six seems to be somewhat of an arbitrary age until one looks a little closer to see that Franck Ribéry, a player for whom United was rumoured to put in a bid worth around £87 million, just celebrated his twenty-sixth birthday this April. This made him ineligible for a transfer to United as well as United's target with the second highest transfer fee, David Villa.

Although this still leaves bids for Benzema and Valencia on the table, it looks as if this new policy has David Gill and the Glazers looking at the resale value of these players instead of their value on the pitch.

The trophies over the last few season seem to have gone a fair way in covering up the problems that Glazers have brought with them, but this summer is proving that it could be a bit of a wake up call to the club's supporters.

Despite the recent on field success, including three Premier League titles and a Champions League crown United's debt is higher than when the Glazers first bought the club in 2005. United have continued to refuse any comment on the issue, evidently trying to avoid any excess media attention on the issue.

The situation with the Glazers seems to have calmed down among the supporters recently, but the situation this season may be worse than ever. With ticket prices still at a premium, and United whoring out their brand around the world, the debt continues to increase. On field success has kept the supporters happy, but with what will undoubtedly be a demanding offseason, the Glazers may find themselves once again under intense scrutiny.

For the first time in three years Manchester United are not going in as the clear favourites to win the Premier League crown. Many people believe that they have turned into a selling club over the last few weeks, selling their top player for a massive profit, while letting another influential player out the door.

United need to spend this summer, but the Glazers may not be ready to...

The Infamous Book of Unwritten Rules

People have tried to put together lists of unwritten rules for various sports ever since the term came into sports culture. Writing a list of unwritten rules (ignore the obvious irony) has often sparked serious debate among those involved in sports over what should be expected of athletes, coaches, fans, the front office and owners in specific situations. These rules and controversies vary from sport to sport, but in team sports there is one that is generally universally excepted.

If you're playing in a game that is useless for you, but means something for your opponents and other teams in the league, you play a full squad.

If you don't know which event I'm talking about yet, last night Toronto FC won the Voyageurs Cup after beating a Montreal "B" squad 6-1. Toronto went into the game needing at least a four goal win to prevent Vancouver from taking home the Voyageurs Cup. Montreal had lost every game in the tournament up to this point and had nothing at stake (except the apparently irrelevant factors of dignity and pride).

Last night's performance from the Montreal Impact showed a lack of respect for the Voyageurs Cup, and Canadian soccer. Montreal's 2008 Voyageurs Cup victory was considered by many supporters to be their greatest moment in club history. It also became the stepping stone for a successful CONCACAF Champions League run in which the Impact played a quarterfinal in front of 55,000 people at the Big O. Just to put this in perspective on average there are two sporting events in Canada every year that attract this type of audience, the Grey Cup and the Blue Jay's home opener. After Montreal realized the potential that winning the Voyageurs Cup presents one would have thought they would have shown more respect to the other two teams in the competition by playing a full squad.

This disrespect for the competition was not one shared by Vancouver in 2008, in fact Vancouver played a big part in helping Montreal win the tournament. They beat Toronto 1-0 at BMO Field, then tied Toronto 2-2 at Swangard, giving Montreal an opportunity to close out the tournament against Toronto which they did. Vancouver played these games after they had lost both their opening games to Montreal, which essentially eliminated them from the competition. Vancouver was apparently wrong in assuming that Montreal would have remembered this favour.

Even if these factors weren't evident, even if this match had been a useless friendly the prospect of a Toronto-Montreal match should have been enough to yield a full line up from both of these teams. These two cities share a rich history of sports rivalries with the Habs and the Leafs, as well as the Argos and the Alouettes. This rivalry between the Impact and Toronto FC seemed to be shaping up nicely, but Marc De Santos, the Impact coach, seems to have deemed that games against the likes of Miami and Austin to be more important.

Now maybe De Santos believed the team he put out against Toronto had the ability to beat them, or at least hold them to a three goal win. If this is true then he was well in his right to send out a team that could benefit from the experience, while maintaining the competition's integrity. It would have been evident at 3-1 that Toronto had some chance of pulling off this improbable victory. Maybe it took until 4-1, but eventually it would have been obvious that Toronto was in with a shout. So why not bring on the array of talent available on the bench to calm the match down a little if nothing else. Team MVP Sandro Grande, the team's top forward Roberto Brown, and young Canadian standout defender Alex Surprenant, were all on the bench to start the match. They were all still there after the ninety minutes were up.

With all this being said, last night obviously was an embarrassing night for the Impact, a disappointing night for Vancouver, but before anyone says that last night was bad for the competition, look again. It was by far the most drama that this Nutrilite Canadian Championship tournament has provided. The football Toronto played last night was not only entertaining, but a display of some of the best quality they've shown in a long time. In the final game of the Canadian Championship, the man who really lifted Toronto to the Cup was a Canadian, Dwayne DeRosario, who scored the first ever hat trick in Toronto FC history. Most importantly the biggest club in terms of fan support, media attention, and cash is going to the CONCACAF Champions League which can only mean more exposure for footy in Canada.

[Cross-posted to Out of Left Field ]

Issey Nakajima-Farran Interview

I had the chance to chat with Canadian International and FC Nordsjælland player, Issey Nakajima-Farran. We talk about his youth career abroad, World Cup Qualifying and Canada's hopes at this summer's Gold Cup.

Being part of the Singapore youth set up, was there ever any doubt in your mind that you would eventually play internationally for Canada?

I was never part of the Singaporean youth set up. I was part of the Japanese youth set up which got me my first pro contract with Albirex Niigata after my youth years at the giant club Tokyo Verdy. Long story how I got to Singapore but you should find my steps in my career on the net some where. There was an article in Singpore that Stephen Hart was aware of me but needed to see me playing in a higher league to consider giving me the chance so I knew I had to prove myself and move on. Japan let me down even though I had a invitational appearance for Singapore U-21s against Japan where I scored two goals and got man of the match. The Japanese coach just mentioned that there are good Japanese players every where and that he wished me all the best. So that pretty much hit the head on the Japanese passport for me. Plus most of my family live in Calgary, so playing for Canada gave my family a chance to watch my football as I've been playing abroad my whole life. A simple football game can mean so much more when your family is there supporting you. Whereas playing abroad, your playing mostly for your self. I've always been a foreigner where ever I've played because of my mixed culture but playing for Canada where every one is also a mix of another culture, I dont quite feel as much of an outsider. So I guess I feel closer to Canada than any other country.

You say you chose Canada because you felt closer to Canada than any other country. What do you think about players like Hargreaves who went to play for a different international team for footballing reasons instead of where they felt at home? Is it just a case of taking a good oppertunity, or is it really a kind of betrayal?

Well a player always has to look at your opportunities and decide the best career path. I think for me Canada was the best choice. Plus if I can be part of a country who is or was on the edge of chasing a World Cup Qualifying spot, it seemed like a great challenge. Canada has a great set of players and I think we should have gone alot further than was achieved. So I hope better luck next time and hope to play apart in it and actually achieve that spot on the world stage. To me its no betrayal. I never lived in a country long enough to call it home as I keep skipping country to country. So im actually a confused individual when it comes to where I call home, so instead I have many homes ;) and Canada is one of my main homes.

As you said Canada underachieved in the most recent World Cup Qualifying campaign. What do you think it ultimately came down to?

Yeah we underachieved. I think we should have gone a lot further but all I can say is that players got injuries at the wrong time, which set back the team quite a bit as the foundation was being built and we were confident. Things change and we failed to adapt. I hope that we will come back strong for this Gold Cup and I look forward to it!

You've played under both Hart and Mitchell, how do they match up to each other?

I think everyone has their preferences but results always speaks for themselves. We did well with Stephen in the Gold Cup so we hope to see that again.

Going into the Gold Cup what is the main objective, winning the tournament or preparing for the next World Cup Qualifying Cycle?

Winning the tournament of course, take it step at a time.

It looks like you will be called up for the Gold Cup squad. If you are chosen what is your preferred position?

Either wing, I like to mix it up.

Playing in Denmark what do you think of Denmark as an avenue for Canadian players to develop? Do you think that playing in a first division is better than playing in a stronger league in a lower division?

Playing is always the main thing players should consider. For me I prefer playing in a top division of a country, even if that's considered in a lower league compared to bigger leagues such as England or Spain etc. There's always different avenues to bigger leagues. I think Denmark is a great place to play and a great place to step up.

The win in Cyprus was Canada's first match in around six months, do you think Canada will have had enough preparation come the start of the Gold Cup?

No, as we need more games together. But players have to adapt fast so I hope we can prepare well and get some results.

Finally, what are the teams realistic expectations going into the Gold Cup?

Nothing but the win of course.

Thanks Issey!

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode One

Well after eight months of blogging I finally ventured into the realm of podcasting. Along with Kevin Elder (aka Pompey Canuck) of Think It All In we recorded the first episode of Canadian Terrace Talk. We talk about everything from the Confederations Cup to the Transfer Window and the upcoming Voyageurs Cup.

Each week we will feature a new guest we started off with Joe Ross from the Footy Show.

We were using a new program to record the show so I apologize for any poor editing, we had a few debut issues that should be fixed up for next week.

Enjoy!

Listen Online to Canadian Terrace Talk Episode One

Download Canadian Terrace Talk Episode One

You can subscribe on Itunes via the first link

The Horns Need to Go!

Watching the first two matches of the Confederations Cup today, brought me to one conclusion. The annoying horns need to go! They remind of sitting in OHL hockey rinks, except in South Africa they are relentless and continue for the whole ninety minutes. I remember watching Man. United's preseason tour last year on justin.tv thinking that the audio was patchy, only to realize the horns were part of the atmosphere.

I am already wondering if my ears will survive next summer having to listen to that noise for 64 matches...

Moving on From Ronaldo

After having two days to sit on the news of Ronaldo's transfer to Real Madrid, the more I think about it the more I like it. We've gotten rid of a cancer in the dressing room. The petulance, the whining, the drama, the diving, the arrogance that comes with Ronaldo is gone. This season we won't be talking about Ronaldo's latest reaction to a substitution or his most recent lashing out at an opponent. The player Ronaldo is gone, but as is the attitude.

The biggest positive coming out of this deal is obviously the cash. Although I don't expect Sir Alex to go on a crazy spending spree. After Van Nistelrooij left, Sir Alex didn't bring in another striker to replace him, but United won the league that next season. After Beckham left Sir Alex brought in a load of players but no huge money deals. I expect much of the same this summer. It looks like United are trying to bring in Valencia which is the right option in my opinion. He can play on the right, he is a traditional winger and will be able to slot right into the starting XI.

I hope that United don't go throw cash at Ribery. The price Bayern is asking for is crazy, he is not nearly as good a player as the money would indicate. He also is unproven in England, and he could be in for a massive crash if he came to United. I think going for Ribery would be ridiculous, and I also think that Sir Alex has the commonsense to stay away.

Another positive to come out of the Ronaldo deal, is the freedom it gives Rooney. Rooney will finally be able to play in a centre forward role that he is used to, that he has been excelling under with the English National Team. With Ronaldo playing in a free-midfield role Rooney's position on the pitch was more restricted. Now with Ronaldo gone, I can see Berbatov and Rooney starting to form a similar partnership that they had during October of last season. Rooney has been consistently good since joining United, but he still hasn't had that brilliant season which we are all hoping for.

Finally with Ronaldo leaving for the first time since 2006-2007 United aren't going in as the favourites. As a fan I love going into the season with everyone talking about the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea as title favourites. It makes the season all the more enjoyable, than just doing what is expected.

So in the end after much deliberation I am very excited about this Ronaldo move, and even more excited for next season... 35 days till the start of the preseason!

Ronaldo is Gone

Well... I don't know what to think. My world has just been turned upside down, United have just come to an agreement with Real Madrid to sell Ronaldo for £80 million. We now have a lot of cash to spend this transfer window, but we also lost one of the best player's I have ever seen.

With this going through I assume United will try and pry Antonio Valencia to replace Ronaldo on the right, along with some other big name transfers. The money may also help United keep Tevez, preventing him from going to Manchester City.

I know Ronaldo is one of the most classless players in the world game, who does everything for himself, but I do want to thank him. Over the past three seasons especially he has been instrumental to our three titles, and of course the European Cup. On the other side I no longer feel the need to stick up for one of the most annoying footballers in world football. But for old times sake and for one last hurrah with United - Viva Ronaldo!



More Reaction to Come

World Cup 2010 Countdown: A Year Away

As of today we are officially less than 365 days away from the kick off of the 2010 World Cup. In 365 days I'll be doing what most Canadians are doing. Feign an immense interest in a European team, back it up with some bullshit family heritage excuse and go with it. Of course as I already said I'll be backing England next summer (I hope they are far enough along now that I'm not jinxing them), and unlike most of the Canadians who will suddenly be attracted to the English National Team next summer, I have watched their World Cup Qualifiers, making me somewhat legitimate.

As a general word of advice to all reading this blog, take off your supporter hats next summer and enjoy. Don't scream in people's face when they say "Canada sucks at soccer". When they claim to be Brazilian, don't remind them they live in Canada. When they tell you that, "CR7 is like totally sick!" don't feel the need to ask if they know more than one player. Enjoy next summer, like everyone else will be enjoying it. As ironic as it sounds, in Canada the World Cup can be a frustrating time for us die hard supporters, so sit back and silently enjoy a self-indulgent chuckle about how you are above these insignificant people. The World Cup should be a party of football. As an aside the one time you do have permission to lose it at some footy wannabe is if they say you should be cheering for Hargreaves because he is "Canadian".

But all of that is still a year away, so if you're reading this we can discuss an event which many are unaware of its existence, World Cup Qualifying. England eased by Andorra as expected six-nil, with Rooney and Defoe both picking up braces. Sweden got a much needed four-nil win, albeit against Malta (just to put this in some context my physiotherapist played on the Maltese National Team. Maradonna's Argentina continued to struggle losing two-nil to Ecuador after Tevez missed a first half penalty. God Damn City, distracting him before a World Cup Qualifier ;).

Elsewhere in what must have been an extremely embarrassing friendly Portugal could only manage a nil-nil draw against Estonia.

Hold on boys and girls South Africa is only a year away!

Canada's 2009 Gold Cup Countdown: TFC Players

There was lots of big news coming out of the TFC camp today which could have major effects on the upcoming Gold Cup.

The first story to surface today was Dwayne DeRosario's decision to stay with Toronto this July instead of playing for Canada's Gold Cup squad. Considering TFC are struggling at the moment, and there is very little chance DeRosario will be part of the 2014 Qualifying Team it was probably the right decision. In the end it comes down to the same old international break for the MLS debate. As long as the MLS continue to ignore international breaks I have no problem with players like DeRosario skipping national team duty in order to help their clubs through a tough part of the season.

The second and probably the biggest story coming out of Toronto is that TFC has released Greg Sutton. Toronto obviously did not want to pay the salary that they were paying Sutton for him to sit on the bench. He looked a little shaky in the crucial Voyageurs Cup game against Vancouver, and Frei has become the obvious starter in Toronto. For Canada it means they will have another keeper option this summer. The Gold Cup preparation camp should start within the next two or three weeks, so Sutton will not be "out of shape" by the time it roles around. The general consensus is that there will be a number of young keepers with Canada's Gold Cup squad and having a veteran in the squad like Sutton may not be a bad idea.

Ali Gerba was let go by MK Dons at the end of the season and Toronto have picked up his discovery rights from San Jose. All signs point to him joining up with Toronto in the near future. For a club that has trouble scoring he could be an important asset. As for Canada, there is no way he will leave Toronto within a week or two of arrival which means Canada will be looking elsewhere for forwards.

The remaining Canadians at TFC will probably chose to stay with Toronto as well considering their recent struggles. Nana Attakora may take the opportunity if he is given the chance, but he will most likely be the only one. Harmse and Serioux are both key to the Toronto back line, a back line that needs as much support as it can get. Brennan skipped out on the 2007 Gold Cup a year before World Cup Qualifying, so there is virtually no chance he will chose to play this summer for Canada.

All in all it looks like Canada will be bringing a very European centric squad, void of any current TFC players, to the Gold Cup this summer.

Tevez tempted by Eastlands revolution

Carlos Tevez is deliberating over a summer transfer which would give more weight to the growing argument that Mark Hughes is determined to transform Manchester City into a serious Premier League force.

Having already shelled out a straight £12m of the super-rich Abu Dhabi United Group's vast fortunes to bring in England midfielder Gareth Barry from Aston Villa this summer, the ambitious Welshman has no desire to rest on his laurels and is convinced he can tempt unsettled Argentina striker Tevez across the city from his former club.

Argentina play a World Cup qualifier in Ecuador on Wednesday and it understood Tevez will then instruct his advisor, Kia Joorabchian, which half of Manchester he intends to play for.

Buoyed by United chief executive David Gill's admission that the £25.5m asking price was a "a bit toppy", Eastlands officials are preparing a package that will ensure Tevez gets his wish to remain in England.

Gill said before the Champions League final defeat by Barcelona that United were working towards reaching a compromise before Tevez's two-year loan arrangement expires on June 30, so the Premier League title-winners do still have time on their side.

Tevez has built up a strong support with the Old Trafford faithful, highlighted when a decision by Sir Alex Ferguson to substitute him against Arsenal was greet by a chorus of boos, and will be mindful of the repercussions of making such a controversial move.

However, having grown tired of taking a back-seat in the big fixtures, Tevez will know the carrot of regular first-team football could prove difficult to resist and the proximity of the move is hardly a logistical nightmare.

City hope to partner Tevez with want-away Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz, who Hughes first brought to England when he manager at Ewood Park.

Nick Walsh writes features and betting previews for Betfair.

Fraizer Campbell to Hull City

The young forward who spent most of last season on loan at Tottenham, has left Man. United for good this time. He has signed with Hull City the club he spent the 2007-2008 season with, scoring fifteen goals in the league and leading them to a Premier League promotion. Hull and Manchester United have agreed on a £6 million transfer fee. For Hull City this could be a good bit of business, but United really had no right to keep him since he was receiving minimal playing time.

He started the 2008-2009 preseason brightly scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over Espanyol at Old Trafford. He even started United's first game of the season against Newcastle, but he was quickly loaned out to Tottenham as part of the Berbatov deal. Campbell had a decent season with Tottenham, the highlight no doubt being his two goals against Liverpool in a 4-2 Carling Cup win.

With forwards like Tevez, Rooney, and Berbatov already solidified in the first team, along with Macheda, Welbeck and Manucho behind them, getting opportunities in the first team for Campbell was never going to be easy next season. The move brings Campbell back to a club he had lots of success with and a club that will undoubtedly give him more playing time than he would have had at Manchester United.

As for Manchester United it doesn't look like they are letting a star forward out of their grasp, but much of the same was said after Giuseppe Rossi left for Villarreal, a club where he has been very successful. Many United supporters are regretting his transfer, but the truth of the matter is he just would not have had the same first team opportunities to excel that he got at Villarreal.

As for Hull City, picking up a striker that has gone through the Man. United academy can be nothing but good news. He has already proven himself to the fans, and his debut for the Tigers next season will be nothing more than a welcome home party.

TRANSFER NOTE: Just as an aside, I don't understand the world's fascination with the transfer window. Isn't the reason we are all football fans so we can watch football? So I will not make any posts or comments on transfer gossip, rumours or anything else until a deal is official.

World Cup 2010 Countdown: Four Through, Justin TV and More

A crazy day of World Cup Qualifiers saw the first four teams join South Africa at the big party next summer. Japan was the first to qualify followed by Australia, South Korea and the Netherlands. No real surprises in that group, all were pretty much expected to go through to South Africa, but past failures have shown these qualifiers always throw in a few shocks.

My day of World Cup Qualifiers took place entirely on one channel, Justin TV. I've canceled Setanta for the summer now that the Premier League season has ended so I had to look online for the games this weekend.

I woke up early and the only game on was Zambia vs. Rwanda. Zambia ended up winning 1-0 with an impressive performance. I was surprised at how good their passing was, it may have come down to just Rwanda giving them too much time, but they looked very good. I have a feeling Zambia may surprise a few leading to the World Cup (just to make sure you don't get fooled into saying anything stupid, that was the first of the African Qualifiers I've watched, so I wouldn't put any money on that opinion).

The next game I watched on Justin TV was actually available on TV in Canada. So why did I watch it online you may ask? Because I didn't want to pay Setanta $24.99 to watch England vs. Kazakhstan. It really infuriates me that Setanta charge so much for England games. Not because I mind watching them on Justin TV, but because it is arrogant, and unfortunately not going to change. Almost all of the people interested in the England game, probably already have Setanta for the Premier League. So they have nothing to gain if they put it on Setanta, but they say that is nothing to lose if they charge a ridiculous price for the game. For a football starved country (Canada), they should reward their limited viewer-ship instead of sucking every dollar out of them.

The actual England game was a typical Capello led England performance. Very slow build up, wait for the opportunity to present itself, usually from a set piece, and go from there. It may not be exciting to watch but it works and England has had plenty of managers who employ styles that don't work, so they'll take it anyway they can right now. From a United perspective it was nice to see Rooney chip in with a goal and finish a brilliant season in style.

The big shock of the night right here in CONCACAF Qualifiers. El Salvador beat Mexico 2-1, which puts them El Salvador in third and pushes Mexico down to fifth. It is still early, with six games left to play for Mexico, but things aren't looking good for them. As for El Salvador, they have a very difficult schedule coming up and I doubt they'll qualify, but they certainly are raising a few eyebrows.

So this wraps up another day of World Cup Qualifiers and we are now only 369 days away from the tournament.

The Rob Friend Debate

My recent piece on forwards Canada should be taking to the Gold Cup sparked a little debate on the Voyageurs, over my decision not to include Rob Friend. Friend is Canada's most prolific striker at the club level, playing in a top league. The big man plays with Borussia Mönchengladbach of the German Bundesliga. He excels playing balls in the air, and is also has a very good touch in tight, giving him a very good goal scoring record with the club. However I think Hart's best option this summer would be to keep him at home.

Most likely Hart will have them playing one of two formations. He will go with the 4-1-4-1 that was so successful in 2007, or he will try and play an expansive 4-4-2. I think the 4-1-4-1 is the better formation of the two because it give the wide midfielders more license to cut in and attack. As I've said countless times before in a 4-1-4-1 the front man needs to be a mobile forward. That is why Friend should not play in that role.

He has proven that stuck up front by himself he is useless for Canada. He just is too wooden, and static going forward. He limits what Canada can do on the counter, and he has yet to fully prove himself on the international stage. Most importantly he thrives with Borussia Mönchengladbach, when good crosses are being delivered into the box. Canada has ONE quality crosser of the ball in the entire team. That is fullback Mike Klukowski.

The left back really is the only Canadian player who can take the ball down the line effectively and put in a good ball. To play with someone like Friend up top, there needs to be constant service into the box. When the only real option to put balls into the box is a fullback, it is time for a new tactic.

People have tried to point out that he does get the ball at the top of the box, and in deeper areas while playing for Mönchengladbach, but that is because he has the extra space. The added width and depth that crossing provides, pulls in defenders and opens up more space. Friend needs this space to play, and he is not going to make it by himself. That is why Canada needs a mobile forward in this position.

If Canada does indeed play a 4-4-2 it will make little difference to Friend, as there is still no one who can cross the ball!

In the end Friend is a very good striker, who has had limited success with the national team due to conflicting playing styles. His World Cup Qualifying performances were disappointing and there is very little evidence pointing to a different outcome at the Gold Cup.

Just as an aside Canucks Abroad had a feature on Rob Friend recently which you can read here.

Canada's 2009 Gold Cup Countdown: Forwards

With Canada most likely playing one up front at the Gold Cup in a 4-1-4-1, Hart will be looking for a mobile forward to fill the role.

Simeon Jackson After scoring the lone goal in Canada's one-nil win over Cyprus, and a fabulous club season that saw Gillingham promoted Simeon Jackson has to be the odds on favourite to be Canada's starting forward this summer. Jackson of course became a Gillingham legend after scoring a ninetieth minute goal in the League Two Playoff Final that sent the club up. The twenty-two-year-old has shined all season for the club, and ended the season as the team's leading scorer with twenty goals. Jackson played as a forward for the U-20's at the dreadful 2007 World Cup, but his first cap with the national team ended much better. Jackson should be able to provide the threat Canada needs going to goal, he can turn and face defenders, which is key for the formation Canada plays, especially since Canada seems to get very few balls into the box. As far as Canadians go he is also a very smart forward, always knows where to be and which runs to make. For a team that has as little of the ball as I expect Canada to this is a crucial quality.

Will Johnson Johnson is used to playing in an attacking midfield role, but I think he is perfectly suited to play as a forward for Canada. His goal scoring record with the U-23 squad during Olympic Qualifying last year was very good scoring three goals in four games. He has a nose for goal, and is one of very few sources of creativity on this Canadian team. He has the ability to hold the ball up and he can take on defenders. He is a very talented player and he is underrated, being of the better players in the MLS. I think Johnson has earned himself the right to play alternate games with Jackson.

Andrew Ornoch Another player who impressed at the U-23's last Spring, the future is bright for Ornoch. He is a more conventional striker than either of the other two vying for the position, which may actually work against him since Canada is desperately in need of some creativity. Ornoch will probably be relegated to a spot on the bench behind Johnson and Jackson, but for the twenty-three-year-old just making it to the Gold Cup squad would be a massive achievement.

Friend and Gerba are both talented forwards, but I think this younger group of more creative forwards will get the nod ahead of these two national team veterans. Friend had has chance to shine during World Cup Qualifying, and he just didn't fit in with the Canadian system. Gerba probably could play in this type of formation, but he is currently unattached and Steven Hart most likely won't risk a spot in the squad on him. So in the end expect to see Johnson and Jackson splitting time this summer.